Satellite Phones & Emergency Communicators

If you hunt or hike in the backcountry long enough, sooner or later you and your loved ones will wish you had a satellite phone or other type of emergency communicator.

I do a lot of solo hunts and scouting trips along with outdoor photo treks. I have used a satellite phone on and off for 15 years. Countries I have called home or office from include China, Africa, Peru and some pretty remote parts of North America. Last year I used my satellite phone to call an emergency vehicle when my truck became disabled on the last morning of my hunt 6 miles from a public road.

I have heard from more and more of our LRH members who have had pretty serious emergencies while out. One had a compound fracture of an arm with bone sticking out at a grotesque angle. A solo bear hunter broke an ankle three hours from help. Another flipped his ATV and basically crawled back to the road a couple miles away.

Our loved ones are much more willing to give us extra "passes" for our adventure trips if we check in daily and they know we can communicate in an emergency. --Len Backus--